Note: Soul Sessions is produced as a podcast first and designed to be listened to. If you are able, we strongly encourage you to listen to the audio, which includes the emotion and inflection meant to be conveyed by human voice. Our transcripts are created using AI and human transcribers, but may contain errors. Please check the corresponding audio before quoting.

PAUL:

When a car backfired during a live shot early one morning, Kayla Thompson's TV voice disappeared and her real voice took over. That's when she decided to stop performing and start being herself.

Hey, it's Paul Wolf with the front row seat to conversations on culture from Jackson, Mississippi. We call our podcast Soul Sessions. It's the people, places, and events that make the city with soul shine. On today's show, we're talking with WJTV's Kayla Thompson, who turned a scary moment in Tupelo into a career-defining revelation. Now she's the face of Live at 9, where she spotlights Jackson's creative hustle every weekday morning. Her new book, Master of the Pivot, chronicles her journey from Jacksonville State in Alabama to becoming one of Jackson's most recognizable voices. Someone who learned from mentor Rob Jay that if there's fun to be found in a story, you better put it there.

I've been wanting to have you on this podcast for a long, long time now. And I'm glad we're finally making it happen.

KAYLA:

Yeah. ‘Bout time you called, you know, you call me for everything else! Just playing! I appreciate the opportunity. Thank you for having me.

PAUL:

Kayla, of course, is our friend from WJTV. She's always so kind to us at Visit Jackson. I wanted to get you on today for a variety of reasons, one of which is your brand-new book. We will talk about that later on. But first, I kind of want to get a little background on you and how you got started in broadcasting. We were just talking before we rolled about where you went to school, not to be confused with Jackson State. You went to Jacksonville State, but that's not in Florida.

KAYLA:

No, it's in Alabama. And I didn't know where it was either. Didn't know it existed. My family got the letter in the mail one day, the letter of intent. Let's come check it out. And I was like, well, yeah, we're going to Florida. I was like, wait a minute, what's the address? That's in Alabama. We got in the car, we were like, okay, well, let's just see, let's see. It looked beautiful on the photo. So we were like, you know what, let's go check it out.

PAUL:

And you graduated from there and then you came to Jackson and did some training under the infamous, the legendary Rob Jay.

KAYLA:

Yes. He is the reason why I kind of let loose in a lot of the stories. Why there's always going to be a joke. The jokes will roll because that comes from Rob. Rob is like, if there's some fun to be found, you better put it in that story. If there's a moment, you know, you might be at a basketball game and somebody's just doing an amazing shot. Rob Jay is crazy enough to show somebody chewing on the popcorn and just about to drop it and all those things. So you get the real story from the people. And I learned that from him and I followed him all around. Honestly, people thought I was his daughter at one point because we were that close during the summer. But those things that I learned from him, I took him on and I, you pretty much watch me doing them on TV.

PAUL:

You definitely have picked that up. I remember talking to you one night at an event in Jackson. And we talked about how, you know, there's the serious buttoned-up news types. And then there's you, who just is not afraid to be herself on television. Besides the training from Rob, is there something within you that gives you that ability to just let loose and have fun?

KAYLA:

Well, there's a story in the book I talk about too. One morning I got an assignment to go to Northeast Mississippi and it was six o'clock in the morning. It was pitch black dark at the time. I want to say honestly, like 430, it was early. It's just super early. And all of a sudden I hear some shots. I didn't know where it came from, but it was car back firing. And I was live, but my voice changed. And I said, well, there's the perception. You could have come with this wonderful, know, articulation of your words. No, here I am scared out of my mind. So the rest of the world gets to see what I really sound like. If you really know news people, you know we have two different voices typically, maybe even three. And at that moment… the flight took over and the real voice came out and I said, you know what, perceptions are hard to keep up with. Just be authentic, be you. And it kind of took me some time to get from Tupelo to come to Jackson before I was able to be like, okay, this is truly who I am. Now I do say some slang words a little bit too much sometimes. I said it this morning, but typically, you know, I just, find that people can relate more to authenticity than you trying to be stiff and stale.

PAUL:

This is true. And we see this on your show every weekday morning on WJTV Live at 9, where you are the comic relief for every guest that comes on, no matter how serious or how lighthearted they might be. And you cover a ton of topics. What have you learned about Jackson, about the people of Jackson by hosting that show?

KAYLA:

Honestly, I haven't learned anything. I knew Jackson was significant. I knew Jackson was amazing all along. I knew Jackson was great since I was a kid. I used to hang out. You remember back in the day that, hold on, where you could stop at the red light and people would get out dancing and get back in the car. And was a whole challenge. Do you remember this?

PAUL:

Actually, yes, I do.

KAYLA:

It was so fun. And people were really doing it. And I was like, you know what? I love this. This experience is so authentic. People just playing music in the street. It's always been there. It's never gone away. It looks different in some ways. And I think that's just it. I just get a chance to show people what has already been here for so long to spotlight some of the ones that are, you know, my age group or maybe some that have been going on. Everybody knows Bobby Rush. So it's not like you, didn't discover Bobby Rush. You know what I mean? But you're just putting these folks in a place where they can be seen and remind everyone that Jackson has been great, that Mississippi has been great, that central Mississippi has been great. It's not something that we're just figuring out now. These people didn't just pop out of nowhere. They've been talented for decades. And that's just it. That's what I think the show is about. And that's why I think it thrives the way it has. It's not us. I mean, there are some times where maybe I might be doing a lot, but most of the time I'm playing off of the people that come on the show, like the small business owners. What is your real thing? Because if you start paying attention to most of the business owners we have now, most of these folks came up with their businesses five years ago in a pandemic. And the hustle has always been in Jackson. The creativity has always been there. It's just people now knowing how to use those resources. And now you have a platform to just show it more and more. That's it. That's really, I can't take all the

PAUL:

You mentioned young Kayla always knew that Jackson was great, but what has older Kayla learned about Jackson that maybe younger Kayla didn't know?

KAYLA:

Well, I don't want people to get mad at, you know, the fluid upbringing because there were some times, you know, that, that the perception was don't go there. You know, you gotta be careful. You gotta do this. I've had my parents in the deepest corners of Jackson having an excellent time. And I grew up not that they were scared, but they were like, you know, Jackson is different. Like it's always, you always got to look out for wherever you go. But I see a lot of those places that over the years had been like no-no zones coming back alive. You know, now it's these new spaces, not these new things that people are doing in those spaces that make sense. The change in the perception. Like I see just a lot of amazing hole in the walls becoming these beautiful artistic zones. Does that make sense?

PAUL:

It does.

KAYLA:

It's not that young Kayla didn't know, but young Kayla really wasn't allowed to go there. But now old Kayla is seeing, this is y'all used to hang out. this is, you know what I mean? And this ain't that scary. But then your parents are like, no, wait a minute. It was at one point. And some of these things have been a little different. I see a lot of folks using what they have and what has been deserted or what has been deemed dangerous to make it beautiful again.

PAUL:

Fair to say you look at the lighter side of life.

KAYLA:

I try to. I mean, it's enough hard stuff out there for you to look at every single day. A lot of difficulty, a lot of frustration, a lot of sadness, anger, depression. You can look at that all you want to. And that's why sometimes people say, I don't watch the news because it's depressing. I'm like, you don't watch my show. You don't. And that's okay. But I think typically when I tell people if you try it one time. I'm pretty sure you'll keep watching that show. And I haven't been wrong yet.

PAUL:

It is a funny show. You have to tune in weekday mornings, WJTV at nine a.m. It's called Live at 9. Something else that's really fun that that we've also talked about off camera off mic before is you have a twin here in town. That's not really your twin, but people think that she's your twin or maybe that you're the same person. Who is that?

KAYLA:

Huh. Who is that? Patty Peck is not me. Rita Brent is amazing, but we are not the same person. We are not even the same height. I just discovered I'm about two inches taller than her. She says I have more butt than she has, but it's for some reason this is confusing a lot of people. And I think it's because the commercials run... Really, it doesn't make sense. I was going to try and rationalize it. It doesn't make sense. I have hair. Rita has low cut. It's, you know.

PAUL:

Here's what it is. You're both hilarious. And that is what people remember.

KAYLA:

Fair. I mean, you know, she's true funny. I can't do what she does. That's all. That's all I will say. Like there are moments that I'm like, Ooh, I'm bombing right now. And Rita's like, no, keep it up. Like, no, no. Cause if you come out and they just go start screaming and laughing right now, I'm standing here. I'm dying there. Then I left them. That's like, this the news girl. What's she doing? So it's hard. That's what makes it difficult for me. If people already come in with this notion that she's on TV, she's supposed to be serious. So now I'm unprofessional cause I dance.

PAUL:

But can you play the drums?

KAYLA:

I cannot play the drums, but I can do a mean tootsie roll. I can only digitally play music. I used to produce music when I was in college for my radio show, but that's as good as it gets. She's, I'm telling you, she's super talented. She's got more things that y'all don't even know she's capable of doing. So we are not the same person. Trust me.

PAUL:

What a plug for Rita Brent, but let's plug you now, Kayla. You've just come out with a new book, Master of the Pivot. What inspired you to write it? How did that come about?

KAYLA:

So Master of a Pivot is honestly me being honest and intentional about where I want to be next, what I want to see. You know, I talk about even with the show, the greatness that's already been there. There are some moments in my life that I can already tell you, like I can say, God has been good. It has not been me on my own, but I can also kind of pop my collar a little bit. And so I'm showing those things and those successes, but also kind of telling people how I got there because some people don't even remember, I used to do weekends when I first got here. Some people have no clue that I don't do sports. They just put me with everything, you know what mean? So it's me being clear about who I am, a multi-hyphenate person, you know, if we really being real, that can do a lot of different things. And don't put me in a box because here's why. That's really what the story is about in the end and how to help people get to their own pivots and why you need to be prepared. And I always say everybody should be working on something. You know, everybody's looking forward to a vacation so you can...keep your mind stable. That's… the book was my vacation of sorts, like something to be working on, something to get ready for. And so when October came and it was out, it was like, yes, I've achieved something. So now I'm looking forward to my actual vacation.

But Master of the Pivot is on Amazon right now. It is goofy. It's it's honest. It's wise. This is what I've heard from the streets, but from my own account, it's me honestly telling people again who I am, what it is I want you to do. I'm pitching, you know, give you a little bit of that, how you can be successful in TV news, giving you success as a business owner for framing your business. And then I'm talking about grief because honestly, it's something that a lot of people are going through. This time last year, I was in the worst position when my grandmother passed away. So I'm honoring her with this book. That's why my entire name is on there. My middle name is her name, Kayla Corrine Thompson. She was Corrine Thompson. So just, it's a way for me to honor her. It's a way to be honest about, every day you see me smiling on TV. It's not easy. There have been some moments I did not want to be here. You know what I mean? Not in this building. I didn’t want to go on up to heaven with her. But I surely did not want to be here and just, you know, pushing through it and what a pivot really is. And there's a lot of transitions that you're going to make in life and a lot of people you thought were going to be here with you forever that aren't in friendships and relationships and all the things. So it's just the honest account of all of that.

PAUL:

And it makes a great holiday gift.

KAYLA:

Come on now. Come on now, you better go ahead and get right now. Cause Amazon been playing sometimes. So you might want to just go ahead and slide on over there, download it and the app, if you ain't got it already, did get it. See how, see how you do it. It's always in the trunk of the car. Okay. Hello. Well, I shouldn't say that cause then somebody gonna bust it though. It's always on me.

PAUL:

Yeah. You are a shameless self-promoter and in a good way, right? Because I saw you walking around the National Folk Festival with an LED backpack on that said, buy my book or ask me about my book?

KAYLA:

Ask me about my book. Yes. You know, I told everybody when I started this journey and like I said, it's me being clear about who I am. It's also me proving to myself that I can market myself. I'm working a lot of people’s businesses all the time and help people do things and frame their lives the way they need them to be and help them be successful. And I was like, if I can do all that for other people, I've got to be able to do it for me. But let me tell you something, this entrepreneur of life, I'm like, look, you don't want to buy the book. It's okay. Just walk away from me. You don't have to stand here and we just look at each other awkwardly. Cause you're like, I don't want a book. I don't read. What am I supposed to do? You know? So it's all of that that I'm dealing with right now learning. But yes, it's always on me. And especially that day while you playing by the backpack, I sold 20, 25 copies.

PAUL:

Wow.

KAYLA:

Okay. yeah. Yeah. We… don't get the backpack. Don't do that. Cause I got to be the only one with the backpack.

PAUL:

That is the hilarious Kayla Thompson, whose story is about the freedom that comes from dropping the act from realizing that small business owners didn't just pop up during the pandemic. They've always been here to understanding that Jackson's greatness has never been hidden. Just waiting to be amplified. Her boo, Master of the Pivot, is honest about grief, ambitious about growth and filled with the same energy she brings to Live at 9 every day. You can find it on Amazon or if you see her around town, she's always got a copy on her. Kayla also gave a shout out to Jackson State University's television and radio departments, JSUTV and WJSU for opening their doors when she showed up with her resume, helping to train her. And as she puts it, saving her. We'll have links in our show notes to Kayla's book at visitjackson.com/soulsessions.

This podcast is produced by Visit Jackson, the destination organization for Mississippi's capital city. Our executive producers are Jonathan Pettus and Dr. Ricky Thigpen, and I'm our managing editor. There's always something great going on in Jackson, and we keep up with it at visitjackson.com.

I'm Paul Wolf, and you've been listening to Soul Sessions.

Listen to previous episodes of Soul Sessions